First Guandmarian-Arkotzan War (1248-1258)
History of Tensions After the war of Conquests in 1123, the Tribes of Guandmare was annexed by the Kingdom of Arkotza. Immediately, Stievya Ivetstki I ordered the construction of major castles across the modern day bay. Several castles were built which maintained peace in the region despite growing tensions from conquest. After Stievya Ivetstki's death in 1134, his son Thevik Ivetstki III gained the throne. Later known as the "Jester", Thevik Ivetstki was able to cling to peace by expanding the northern territories economies and increasing tribal rights. It wasn't until his son took over in 1173, Stievya Ivetstki II, that peace began to break. A series of rebellions were crushed and thousands upon thousands of people were butchered in what became known as the "Red Month" with deaths calculated at a round 4,000-6,000 people. More rebellions followed which culminated in the murder of King Stievya and the execution of 1,200 rebels along the streets of Nova Yeyte. A further 400 people were massacred at the nearby village of Kova Bietsk and another 250 at Murmask. After Stievya's death his brother, Yasilvovich Ivetstki "The Bloody" reigned from 1214 and was responsible for the most brutal of the massacres. Between 1230 to 1244, 300 villages were burnt and 13,000 people murdered in a rampage by the royal armies, the King then handed several pieces of land to his lords and gave them orders to massacre any village that voiced complaints. This would culminate on the 13th of March, 1248 when Lord Retruvich Kostav butchered 4,000 people in 60 villages, among the escapees was a man named Vasile Kovcas who would lead a rebellion in 3 weeks time. The Rebellion's beginning (1248-1253) On the 3rd of April, Vasile Kovcas gathered together 150 Peasants and marched to the nearby town of Kayak Vietya and looted the armory, taking pikes, armor and shields before looting the city killing 30 people. The local garrison of 200 men marched out into the fields on the outskirts of town to lure the rebels out, both sides clashed on the hill overlooking the town in what would become the Battle of Kayak Vietya, and the opening battle of the First Guandmarian-Arkotzan War. Fighting raged for 3 hours with around 60 total casualties before the city's garrison were forced to flee back to the walls and the rebels to flee to nearby villages in order to reinforced themselves. By the end of April, there had been no fighting and rebel forces numbered around 800 now and had made suggestions of an invasion to Kayak Vietya. Retruvich Kostav ordered a local castle guard of 1,000 men to meet the rebels at Kayak Vietya and placed them under the command of Vayakvistik Kostav, his son. As the troops marched towards the rebels the encountered another group of rebels under the command of Wolsilvak Nackivi numbering around 600 men, seeing a chance for glory Vayakvistik order his men to charge. The battle was hard fought as the rebels fought for survival yet to no avail, 450 were killed and 50 captured with the survivors fleeing towards Vasile. On the 2nd of May, 1248 Vasile and the remainders of Wolsilvak's army met up on the hill where the First Battle of Kayak Vietya had been fought and the two leaders met to discuss a plan. Wolsilvak informed Vasile Kovcas of the nearby army and both commanders arranged their men on the hill, with Wolsilvak holding the left flank near the village of Kova Bietsk. At 6:30 on the 3rd of May, 1248, the remaining 950 men under the command of Vayakvistik came into sight of the rebel forces under the command of Vasile Kovcas and Wolsilvak Nackivi numbering around 650 men and at 6:45 the opening battle began as Vayakvistik's forward guard of 200 men charged the left flank. Fighting would continue past 7:00 when the main force of Vayakvistik engage Kovcas's forces in the center with around 500 men. At 7:20, Vayakvistik's left flank collapsed and had to be reinforced with 150 reserve's and by 8:00 the center and left were looking very weak for the rebels. Misreading this as near victory Vayakvistik sent in the final 100 men to deal a final blow, but the rebels right flank defeated Vayakvistik's right and then charge his center's flank. Suddenly face with the prospect of a total collapse of their flank the left faltered and fled leaving the rebels the chance to destroy the center. Casualties for the rebels rose to 130 with royalists casualties rising to 230, dealing a heavy blow to regional strength. Kovcas marched his forces into Kayak Vietya and captured the small city where the rebels remained. A stalemate ensued until the 27th of December 1250 when a royal force of 1,500 lay siege to the city against the rebel defenders of 700. A two year siege was laid which lasted until the 18th of December 1522 when under the cover of darkness a reliving force of 100 rebels snuck into the royal camps and killed 60 besiegers. In the confusion 400 of the royalist men fled into the forest only to be cut down by the pursuing rebels. Seizing the opportunity, Kovcas charged the defenders into camps and killed a further 200 besiegers. At the end of the battle almost 300 besiegers and 30 rebels had been killed and the result had wiped out the majority of the northern forces which would later lead to the destruction of the royalist armies as a whole. Destruction of the Northern Castles (1253-1260) By August the 1st 1253, the rebel position had been strengthened and their numbers were well above 4,000 with 2,000 in Kayak Vietya compared to the Northern lords who only had around 6,000 men. Numbers were about to swing even further in the rebel's favor, Wolsilvak Nackivi was approaching from the east with a force of 3,000 men and the only thing stood in their way was the Yeorgi Castle. On the 7th of August 1253 both commanders met on the outskirts of Yeorgi and laid siege to the castle. Category:History Category:Guandmare